Maria had a Little Llama = Maria Tenia una Llamita by Angela Dominguez. Henry Holt & Company, 2013. ISBN 978-0-8050-9333-9
Reader's Annotation: Maria's little llama follows her everywhere, through to countryside and into the town, but what will happen when he follows her to school?
Summary: Dominguez has created a Peruvian take on the familiar nursery rhyme, Mary had a Little Lamb, with text in both English and Spanish. "Maria has a little llama, whose fleece was white as snow". Maria and her llama are inseparable, and explore the landscape and Incan landmarks around their home together. One day, the llama follows Maria into town and right into the village school!
Maria's fellow students are delighted to have a llama in class, but of course, the rules won't allow it. Maria's teacher kindly sends the llama outside to wait. And what a joyful reunion they have when the school day is over!
Critical Evaluation: This charming re-imagining of a classic rhyme offers a window into the world of village children in this region of Peru. With bilingual text, and illustrations featuring regional dress and the village band performing at the end of the rhyme, Dominguez has successfully incorporated many cultural details into this simple story.
The tale highlights the loving bond that develops between children and their pets in every country around the globe, no matter the continent or type of animal. The roughly shaded illustrations include a multitude of textures and patterns, well-suited for depicting the mountainous landscape surrounding Maria's home and village.
While the book ends rather abruptly, it is true to the original children's rhyme, and the sweetness of Maria's musical celebration with her llama helps to make up for the sudden finish. Although geared to a younger audience, the inclusion of a map featuring several Incan ruins, and the depiction of Peruvian musicians and instruments could spark an interest for further research in slightly older readers.
Age or Interest Level: Ages 2 to 5
Awards: 2014 Pura Belpré Award, Honor, Illustrator; ALA 2014 Notable Children’s Books, Younger Readers
Why Included? It is wonderful to imagine a place so different from my own small village. Where we have dogs and cats, Maria's village has llamas. We have the sea and Maria has mountains. Our oldest buildings date to the 1600's, while Maria is surrounded by ancient Incan monuments. Fascinating!
Green is a Chile Pepper: a Book of Colors by Roseanne Greenfield Thong, illustrated by John Parra. Chronicle Books, 2014. ISBN 978-1-4521-0203-0
Reader's Annotation: "Green is a chile pepper, spicy and hot. Green is cilantro inside our pot". Gloriously colored illustrations, bilingual text, and rhyming narrative ideal for reading aloud make this an ideal choice for introducing colors and Hispanic culture simultaneously.
Summary: This concept book provides a rainbow colored window into the world of Latino families. Beginning with the color red and moving through all the colors of the rainbow, plus pink, brown, and white, Hispanic American culture is celebrated through the experiences of children in their homes and neighborhood. Each two-page spread features a color, which is labeled in both English and Spanish, as well as text describing the significance of the color in Latino life.
The rhyming text is mainly written in English, but key terms are in Spanish and are italicized. These italicized terms are listed in a glossary at the end of the narrative, along with succinct definitions and explanations of Hispanic cultural traditions.
Critical Evaluation: While children's literature has become more inclusive of all cultures and ethnicities, it has still not reached the point of being fully representative of the many differences among people that make the world such a diverse place. Green is a Chile Pepper recognizes and celebrates the heritage and culture of Hispanic Americans through the use of color and the identification of particular aspects of Latino life that are unique.
The selected key cultural objects and celebrations, like tortillas, pinatas, and marimbas, are things that many children will be familiar with already, or will quickly recognize as similar to something in their own lives. Both the warmth of the colors used in the illustrations, and the lively spirit of Hispanic life that is captured in the text will encourage an appreciation of Latino culture in children of every ethnic group.
The author and illustrator have also collaborated on a concept book focusing on shapes, Round is a Tortilla.
Age or Interest Level: Ages 2 to 6
Awards: Pura Belpré Award, Illustrator Honor Latino Book Award, Winner
Why Included? This book made me wish I could climb inside the pages to hear abuela's tales, attend the feria, and feed palomitas to the doves, not to mention sample the delicious food being prepared throughout the narrative.